Well I am back after 2 beautiful sunny weeks. We had a hectic fortnight, went with my friend the first week, then my daughter came the second week.
My friend had quite a few suitcases of clothing already in Bali to donate and we had done fundraising, so the highlights of that were.
We went to a poor village (the east). We had already been to Macro and bought 30 packs of food for 30 of the poorest families. The pack consisted of rice, noodles, oil, coffee, dried fish, sugar, salt and maybe a few other things that I can't think of at the moment. The village was very poor and almost 1 member in each family was handicapped in some way (either mentally or physically).
This is due to the lack of nourishment when the mother is pregnant.
Also clothing was donated.
I think the best day was when we took ALL the kids from Jati II out for the day. We hired 4 buses and they all arrived down the beach (in front of Inna Kuta) where we always sit with our Balinese friends. One of our friends had organised all the food (the balinese food in the little paper bags) She had organised all the fruit, watermelon and pineapple and had bagged it all up in individual bags. Some of the older boys 18 and 19 year olds had never seen the beach, so they surfed, swam and had a ball. They played soccer, quoits, volley ball. We bought them icecreams from our icecream boy and drinks and we had chips, biscuits etc. They had a wonderful day, and so did we. towards the end, they sang for us and did some dancing and then we tought them how to do the hokey pokey. What a laugh. We have got to know these kids because we have been visiting this orphanage for 12 months now and each time we have been we have been taking about 8 out for the day, but this time we thought we want the whole lot (70 odd).
Another good day was when my daughter and I visited Sanglah Hospital with some baby bundles for the new mothers. That put a few smiles on some new mothers.
We had originaly booked in to Masa Inn. We stayed there 2 nights but we didn't go much on that and we ended up staying in a nice place called Bali Sandy which is in Poppies II (well a laneway off Poppies II) right next door to Indah Beach Hotel. It was a new hotel but not overly occupied so we got 5* treatment. The staff were lovely (which most of them are anywhere you go). The rooms we had,ground floor near the pool were HUGE king size bed, table and 2 chairs, bedside cupboards, a cupboard with the TV on with drawers etc and shelf, then another dressing table type thing with a little stool and the wardrobe which had cupboards, doors and drawers. Plenty of cupboards and drawers to put everything away and then the bathroom was huge as well. All tiled nicely with shower over bath. They should have put a vanity in, it only had a basin with a little glass shelf above the basin. That was the only complaint. Lovely gardens and nice pool. I think when it gets known, it will really take off.
Of course we went to Macro. We always go there first and buy our drinks, water and nibblies and plenty of other stuff as well.
We bought our lovely massage lady on the beach a new bicycle. She was telling us she had her bike for 20 years and she had to push it home the night before, so I said to my friend shall we buy Made a new bike. It cost 400,000 rp and she was over the moon and it happened to be her birthday the next day so we made her day. So there is a brand new bright blue bike parked on the beach now amongst all the other old ones!!
We ate at Indo National, Bamboo Corner (so so cheap, in Poppies I) and we also went to Jimbaran Bay for a seafood dinner. Our Balinese friends came with us and took us to the one they thought was best and we ate everything from lobster, prawns, squid, crab and it was beautiful.
I was worried about the weight of my cases as I always do, but nothing was said, so was happy about that. These Balinese friends are going to help me organise my daughter's wedding next year in Bali. They said they will save me lots and can tell me the best places. She was married just recently herself at Patra Jasa, 5* hotel on the beach in Tuban I think.
So I am off again in September with my other daughter to organise the wedding which will be in September next year.
and so the countdown starts again.....